Sky+ HD boxes are closing down?

[Stormney]

I too am confused. Must ring again. I have a sky + box which receives HD channels . Yesterday told my card unauthorised. All boxes being shut down in about a month. Will send me a new card by express delivery because I wasn't warned. In the mean time I have to miss some programmes I wanted to see until new Q card arrives. Basically I have a choice to upgrade to Sky Q or cancel my contract which they have voided through failure to warn me that the service was ending and that I would have to upgrade.

To add insult to injury I have to wait a month for an engineer to come and set up my new box!!

So what really is going on?

[Mark39]

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@Stormney wrote:

I too am confused. Must ring again. I have a sky + box which receives HD channels . Yesterday told my card unauthorised. All boxes being shut down in about a month. Will send me a new card by express delivery because I wasn't warned. In the mean time I have to miss some programmes I wanted to see until new Q card arrives. Basically I have a choice to upgrade to Sky Q or cancel my contract which they have voided through failure to warn me that the service was ending and that I would have to upgrade.

To add insult to injury I have to wait a month for an engineer to come and set up my new box!!

So what really is going on?

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This does indeed sound very confused. The Sky+HD service is not ending. Sky+HD boxes are not being shut down in a month.

[caesarome]

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@Stormney wrote:

To add insult to injury I have to wait a month for an engineer to come and set up my new box!!

So what really is going on?

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Have you upgraded to Sky Q because if so you will be sent a new card that you can use in your Sky+ box until your Q box is installed.

[sweetheart4321]

stormney  this is what i read up on,but according to others oin here its not true,so i dont know

[Stormney]

Had a system failure  before Christmas. Sky + HD 2TB box. Sky not interested in rairing system. Independant engineer replaced dish receiver. No problem since.

Sky had offered me no alternative to repair other than upgrading to Sky Q which I accepted until the promised" be done in a week" was confirmed as " be done after Christmas no engineers available" 

Cancelled upgrade in disgust  - had receiver repaired as I said. Weeks later- before Christmas received a Sky Q card which I ignored. Assured upgrade cancelled.

Now 2 nights ago I switch on to find my card is unauthorised .Evidently for Sky programmes because many still available  so card apparently works and I have had the others switched off!

 So last night told  Sky + HD being switched off in about a month.  My choice cancel Sky or upgrade!!

On the  phone this morning to find out what is going on!!!!

[oj01]

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@Stormney wrote:

Had a system failure  before Christmas. Sky + HD 2TB box. Sky not interested in rairing system. Independant engineer replaced dish receiver. No problem since.

Sky had offered me no alternative to repair other than upgrading to Sky Q which I accepted until the promised" be done in a week" was confirmed as " be done after Christmas no engineers available" 

Cancelled upgrade in disgust  - had receiver repaired as I said. Weeks later- before Christmas received a Sky Q card which I ignored. Assured upgrade cancelled.

Now 2 nights ago I switch on to find my card is unauthorised .Evidently for Sky programmes because many still available  so card apparently works and I have had the others switched off!

 So last night told  Sky + HD being switched off in about a month.  My choice cancel Sky or upgrade!!

On the  phone this morning to find out what is going on!!!!

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@Stormney If you still have that Sky Q card, put it in your box and pair it. When that card was issued it triggered an auto switch off of your old card, which is what has now happened.

If you don't have that card, Sky will need to send you another one. Still no need to switch to Sky Q. 

[Stormney]

Many thanks. Will search out that card, Sky have promised me a new one though. If  what you say is correct and I'm not doubting that, then since I have no need for a new system I will cancel the upgrade, .  In monthly costs it becomes cheaper apparently BUT reading all the small print for what is provided I might need to upgrade my tv as well.

No desperate need for that  either.

[Mark39]

Providing your TV has an HDMI socket you wouldn't need to change it for Sky Q. But if you're happy with Sky+ there's no need to upgrade yet.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Stormney wrote:

 So last night told  Sky + HD being switched off in about a month.  My choice cancel Sky or upgrade!!

On the  phone this morning to find out what is going on!!!!

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Given Sky+ HD still has well in excess of a million households using it, any such move would be a significant national news story.  The absence of coverage should be a clue that it's not true.

[TimmyBGood]

@Stormney 

Perhaps the confusion is that the remaining non-HD boxes are becoming obsolete imminently, because the broadcast format they require for reception is being discontinued.  That starts in May with service ceasing in June.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-channel-upgrade 

[Stormney]

Final comment about needing to upgrade to sky Q or not. Thanks to all for the information. I am now I hope set up with a working card to enable me to view via my Sky+HD box.

Moral of story - If you can  - keep ringing until you get an operator who actually helps you rather than trying to upgrade you for no reason!  Now in need of a dark corner to recover!

My refernce to needing a new tv if I upgrade toSky Q was becuse the package offered free access for four months to UHD channels - cancel before  offer endsor pay for something you can't use. My tv -still good- was bought as HD ready !!!!!

Many thanks to all again

[sweetheart4321]

That is the reason,why some of these sky people are not telling the truth over the phone,because they want everyone to upgrade to a q box, so some of them will try to get u to do that,this is probably why 2 of them told me that the hd boxs are finishing ,because they just want u to get a q box .

[CarlP]

Hi all!

I can see where people can very easily get confused, when the messaging coming from Sky is so mixed and not at all consistent.

Earlier today, I received advice from @oj01, @TimmyBGood, @Mark39 and @Annie+UK - about connecting a non wireless enabled Sky+HD box to my broadband.

Just an hour or so ago I telephoned Sky to see if the recommended Sky SC201 WiFi adapter was still being supplied by them - and ended up speaking to someone from, and based in, India.

I was informed the item I wanted was no longer available from Sky.

However, I was also VERY RELIABLY and ADAMANTLY informed that all Sky SD, HD and + boxes were being switched off in August. I asked that this was clarified with her superiors and was re-informed by one of them that this was the case. Suggesting that they might be somewhat misinformed or at least had misunderstood what the exact position is - I was again told with full confidence that this was the case.

(removed)

It is one of my pet hates that disinformation is proffered by organisations that should both know and do better.

CarlP

Moderator note: Removed innapropriate remarks.

[MarkGoldsmith]

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@CarlP wrote:

Hi all!

I can see where people can very easily get confused, when the messaging coming from Sky is so mixed and not at all consistent.

Earlier today, I received advice from @oj01, @TimmyBGood, @Mark39 and @Annie+UK - about connecting a non wireless enabled Sky+HD box to my broadband.

Just an hour or so ago I telephoned Sky to see if the recommended Sky SC201 WiFi adapter was still being supplied by them - and ended up speaking to someone from, and based in, India.

I was informed the item I wanted was no longer available from Sky.

However, I was also VERY RELIABLY and ADAMANTLY informed that all Sky SD, HD and + boxes were being switched off in August. I asked that this was clarified with her superiors and was re-informed by one of them that this was the case. Suggesting that they might be somewhat misinformed or at least had misunderstood what the exact position is - I was again told with full confidence that this was the case.

(removed)

It is one of my pet hates that disinformation is proffered by organisations that should both know and do better.

CarlP

Moderator note: Removed innapropriate remarks.

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Unfortunately you aren't the first person to be misinformed by the offshored Sky customer services reps. Unfortunately when these services are offshored, you tend to get agents who don't really have a clue about the product and aren't really interested in it (likely because its a fairly low paid job, has a high staff turnover and it wouldn't surprise me if they are acting as Customer Services for a number of different companies at the same time).

Ultimately there is no way to directly be hold of a UK based customer services rep, as you will always be routed to the first available agent, regardless of where they are based.

It might be worth raising an official complaint with Sky, provide them with the time of your call and they will be able to listen to see and confirm whether or not you have been misinformed. https://www.sky.com/help/articles/how-to-make-a-complaint

[TimmyBGood]

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@CarlP wrote:

Just an hour or so ago I telephoned Sky to see if the recommended Sky SC201 WiFi adapter was still being supplied by them 

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Incidentally, the answer would be no, because the boxes for which that device is relevant are long out of support by Sky: all late model Sky+ HD had built-in WiFi several years before manufacturing ceased in 2015.  That doesn't mean they won't work for television viewing, but Sky just doesn't hold stock of antique hardware.

Both models of wireless connector are available second hand on eBay for a few pounds.